Vizioncore vRanger Configuration Take 2

You should be thinking about backup even before you start creating Virtual Machines. This is perhaps obvious. Although, it is still possible to defer that decision by using traditional "in VM" solutions.

One of the features of ESX is that you can have a display name for a VM in the GUI which bares no relation to the names of the files. Now the name for the files of the VMs are taken at the time of creation from the XXX form. By default this is also the display name used within the GUI. The display name can be changed later. To change the filenames used, requires that the VM is stopped and all the files and the directory used are modified. And modified correctly!

Now it is possible to use a wide range of characters in the name of a VM, e.g. this is legal:


Legal, but not sensible.

Whilst ESX has no problem with filenames with non-alphanumeric characters, both vRanger and VCB do. They will both fail to back up a VM with the name indicated. That may suggest something about how both utilities are architected, or perhaps the APIs they are utilizing. It doesn't matter. You have to deal with it.

When you create a VM, give it a sensible, simple but meaningful alphanumeric name. Afterwards you can choose rename from the right mouse button menu and change the display name to include whitespace and other characters.


Ensure that you have modified the System Resource Reservation parameters, which reserves resources for the backup process to utilize.


Foreach ESX Server:
On the Configuration-> Ststem Resource Reservation->Simple Tab, set
CPU : 1500Mhz
Memory : 800MB


The Simple setting equates to the host->system setting under the Advanced tab!

After changing these settings, it is necessary to reboot the ESX server, before they take effect. Consequently, if you can it is sensible to set this all up before you start serving Virtual Machines.

Then

1. Verify that the ssh client service has been enabled on the ESX hosts to be backed up.
2. Enter all ESX hosts into Ranger by IP or FQDN.
3. Create a backup user on the ESX hosts. N.B. root ssh access is required for vmfs --> vmfs backups & restores.
4. To verify correct configuration, it is recommended that initial attempts should be undertaken using Ranger's legacy mode.